From rural settlements in the hinterlands of the African Savannah, to plush hotels in bustling metropolises, terror groups in sub-Saharan Africa are pursuing their fundamentalist agenda with deadly ambitions.

So deadly that the Global Terrorism Index — which tracks terrorism trends across the world — noted that Sub-Saharan Africa accounted for the highest number of deaths per attack than any other region of the world in 2014, nearly three times more than the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). This trend is likely to be repeated in 2015’s report.

And the uptick in terrorism in the continent shows no sign of abating.… Seguir leyendo »

“And I assure you that we will defeat Boko Haram by the end of this year.” This was the pledge made by Nigerian President Muhammdu Buhari to his Beninese counterpart, Boni Yayi, during a gala dinner commemorating Benin’s independence during the summer of 2015.

It was a promise that the Nigerian head of state would also reiterate to fellow Nigerians, who eagerly waited for him to make good on his promise and act with the decisiveness that Buhari had accused his predecessor, Goodluck Jonathan, of lacking. Yet as 2015 drew to a close, the specter of Boko Haram loomed as large as ever over Africa’s most populous state.… Seguir leyendo »